The 7 biggest challenges in B2B e-commerce

Online trade in the business-to-business (B2B) sector has long since arrived. B2B and e-commerce now go hand in hand. One in five retailers generates its revenue through online sales.

The future of B2B commerce looks excellent. People's changing shopping behavior is not stopping at the corporate sector either. Those who already offer digital purchasing options today or have set the course for digital have perfect opportunities for a successful future.

Regardless of whether you are already active in online B2B commerce or just want to get started - the potential is huge. However, B2B eCommerce is associated with a number of challenges. We show you the 5 biggest challenges and the benefits you can gain from online retail with corporate customers.

Definition: What is B2B Commerce?

By definition, B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce refers to all digital transactions between business customers. The focus here is therefore on the sale of products and services to another company. The digital solutions used in online trade between companies range from traditional online stores and online marketplaces to supplier and procurement platforms.

The potential of B2B e-commerce is huge. In 2023, B2B e-commerce sales in Germany amounted to 1.82 trillion euros.

Functions of B2B online stores

B2B online stores have specific functions that differ from B2C stores and meet the complex requirements of business customers. Here are some key features of B2B online stores:

1. Customized pricing: B2B online stores offer the ability to set customer-specific prices and discounts. This enables companies to make individual price agreements with their business customers.

2. Multi-stage approval workflows: Many B2B platforms support approval workflows where orders and purchases must be reviewed and approved by multiple levels in the organization.

3. Bulk orders: B2B online stores allow customers to order large quantities and make bulk purchases. This often requires functions for managing order quantities and variants.

4. Individual product catalogs: Companies can create individual product catalogs that are tailored to the needs and preferences of their business customers. This facilitates product research and ordering.

5. Credit and payment options: B2B stores usually offer credit and financing options that allow customers to buy on account or pay in installments.

6. B2B customer portals: Customer portals offer companies the opportunity to view order history, track orders and download invoices. This promotes transparency and self-service.

7. Product data and inventory management: Product data and inventory information management capabilities are critical to ensure B2B customers always receive accurate product and availability information.

8. Integration with ERP systems: Integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is critical to ensure seamless business processes, including order fulfillment, inventory management and accounting.

9. Custom configuration: In some industries, such as construction or manufacturing, configuring products to individual requirements allows customers to place customized orders.

10. Multilingual and global support: For international business customers, B2B online stores offer support for different languages, currencies and locations to facilitate global trade.

These functions enable companies to operate efficient and customer-oriented e-commerce platforms that are specifically tailored to the needs and requirements of their business customers.

Differences between B2C & B2B

B2B e-commerce differs significantly from online trade with end consumers (B2C). Online trade at the corporate level usually involves complex goods that require explanation. This entails different structures and processes than in the classic B2C sector. These are the main differences between B2B and B2C e-commerce:

1. The customer

While B2C commerce sells to private individuals and thus to tens of thousands to millions of people, the customers in B2B commerce are companies. The target group in corporate online commerce is thus significantly smaller. Due to the smaller number of suppliers and customers in the B2B sector, partnerships often develop over many years.

2. The baskets

The shopping carts of participants in B2B e-commerce are generally larger. This means that the order values in the B2B sector are also much higher than in the B2C sector. Whereas in the end-customer market, the conclusion of a purchase usually happens quite quickly, more thought is required in B2B e-commerce.

3. The purchase process

Every sales deal involves multiple approvals and numerous stakeholders. The decision-makers are usually not individuals but corporate units (so-called buying centers). The sales cycle thus takes longer, resulting in longer communication paths and more frequent interactions.

4. The Customer Journey

The customer journey for private customers is relatively short and linear. After identifying a need, products are searched for and compared, and finally purchased. In B2B e-commerce, the decision-making process is often long. Both the number of decision-makers and the complexity of the products are reasons for this. The decision can therefore take weeks or even months.

5. The prices

The prices in the private customer business are approximately the same. In B2B e-commerce, on the other hand, different prices have to be managed. While buyer A may negotiate an individual price, buyer B must buy at the list price.

7 Challenges in B2B e-commerce

Those who rely on B2C solutions in B2B e-commerce will quickly reach their limits. Often, the functional scope of B2C e-commerce platforms is not sufficient for B2B merchants. Custom workflows become necessary, which poses major challenges for many companies.

1. Ensure individuality

Long-term partnerships with customers often result in individual agreements on conditions regarding prices or delivery. A B2B platform must map these specific conditions in order to be accepted. Speaking of prices: It is true that purchase on account is still the most popular payment method in B2B online commerce. However, the acceptance of other payment options such as PayPal or credit card is increasing. With increasing transactions via mobile devices, transactions via wallets (Google Pay or Apple Pay) are also becoming interesting for B2B e-commerce.

2. Map different workflows

Another challenge in B2B commerce is the involvement of multiple decision makers. The larger the company, the more people are likely to be involved in the purchasing decision. Depending on the department and person, there are different budget responsibilities and approval rights. It may be that a department can fill a shopping cart, but must pass the cart to an authorized person to process the order. These approval processes and workflows must be mapped by the B2B solution.

3. Linking of different systems

One of the biggest challenges for B2B companies in e-commerce is integration into existing IT infrastructure. Different customer requirements, product portfolios, data and processes make a system architectural challenge out of a B2B platform. Data and information must be exchanged between systems. Linking all digital solutions, from enterprise resource planning to order management and accounting, to logistics and marketing, requires some technical know-how. A powerful integration of the B2B online store into the existing infrastructure and the smooth connection of services such as payment and shipping are the be-all and end-all of a successful B2B e-commerce strategy.

4. Increase attention and acceptance

A beautiful, new online store usually doesn't sell anything on its own. So it is necessary to build marketing measures into the B2B e-commerce strategy. The first and perhaps most difficult step is to advertise to existing customers. Often, long-standing relationships have been established and a direct sales force with its own contacts has been set up. To increase acceptance of the new e-commerce solution, benefits must be communicated clearly and transparently. Then, the company's core markets can be targeted and potential customers can be won over to B2B e-commerce.

5. Optimize processes

At the end of the day, people are still buying, even on the business customer side. What is already commonplace in the B2C sector is increasingly expected by B2B customers as well, namely smooth and fast order processing. For B2B retailers, it is essential to constantly improve their own processes. This includes simplifying processes, automating workflows and transparent communication.

6. Internationalization and multilingualism

Anyone who sells internationally inevitably has to deal with issues such as multilingualism, currency conversion, tax rates or legal peculiarities (keyword: VAT ID, delivery thresholds, customs information, etc.). The question of whether product texts should be localized or translated for five markets will show whether the selected store system can also play along in terms of internationalization - or whether you will reach your limits during the first country rollout.

7. Complex product logic and configurators

Many B2B products cannot simply be ordered via dropdown. Variants, individual dimensions, technical parameters or accessories must be combinable - ideally directly in the online store. If you don't start with product data management and configuration logic at an early stage, you not only risk incorrect orders, but also a lot of manual rework in sales.

Advantages of B2B trade

You see: Building an e-commerce solution for online trade in a corporate context requires know-how and perseverance. However, the hard work will certainly pay off, because B2B e-commerce offers a number of advantages.

1. Market development - exploiting new potential

B2B e-commerce enables companies to tap into markets and target groups that were previously inaccessible. Be it due to geographical distances or low margins in face-to-face sales. With an e-commerce solution, business can be internationalized as well as pure online buyers (self-service) can be reached.

2. Sales growth - increase sales

Opening up new markets and target groups naturally also holds the potential to increase sales. With a smooth and efficient buying process, customers may buy more often. In B2B e-commerce, related products (so-called cross-selling) or higher-value products (so-called up-selling) can also be operated more effectively.

3. Building relationships - retaining customers for the long term

With digital solutions for retailers, you not only make it easier for customers to find and connect with suppliers. With a smooth process and additional services, you can also retain the customer in the long term. Keeping an existing customer is often much cheaper than acquiring new ones.

4. Increasing efficiency - optimization through data

Thanks to digital solutions, you can not only acquire and retain new customers. You also gain valuable insights into buying behavior. With automatic data collection and evaluation, you can analyze usage behavior and personalize products and services. Direct feedback from customers also helps you improve products. As a result, you can make faster and better decisions and improve your own processes by linking all internal systems.

5. Cost savings - better allocation of resources

Lengthy, paper-based processes cost money and time. By automating your processes, you can save costs with online B2B commerce. Not only your accounting department will thank you, but also your employees. With the elimination of time-consuming processes, they can devote themselves to more important tasks.

Shopify B2B - How it works

The Shopify B2B section includes many features that enable B2B sales in your shop without having to use third-party apps or other intermediate solutions. For example, you can create custom price lists or currencies and payment terms, but also connect diverse buyers and locations. You can also create a customised theme for your B2B trade. With these functions, you can add B2B to your B2C shop and thus create a mixed shop or create an extension shop for B2B customers.

Shopify B2B is only convertible with a Shopify Plus plan so far.

The future of B2B online stores: 7 list of trends in B2B commerce

B2B e-commerce is subject to constant change and development. Here are some current trends in B2B e-commerce:

1. Self-service first

Customers want to order, track, return and obtain quotes - preferably without calling the sales department. Especially when it comes to returns, 50% of consumers want a self-service option. The days of PDF forms and manual price queries are over. B2B stores of the future are interactive portals: with a quote configurator, availability display, order tracking and individualized dashboards.

2. B2B takes over B2C usability

UX, performance and mobile optimization are becoming mandatory. After all, B2B customers are also people with high expectations in terms of user guidance, search function, filter logic and loading times. According to Salesforce's B2B Buyer Experience Benchmark 2025, 74% of B2B decision-makers today expect a user experience that is comparable to that of leading B2C platforms. Those who are still selling via three-step login masks and hidden price lists are making it easy for the competition.

3. Personalization

Individual prices, customer-specific product ranges and tailored recommendations are no longer a “wow” but an expectation. This is also shown by the latest retail report from SOTI, in which 58% of consumers in Germany say they welcome personalized product recommendations based on previous purchases. AI-supported systems will enable even more granular adjustments in the future - from dynamic pricing to automated suggestion logic based on purchasing behavior, company size or industry.

4. Platform strategies & marketplace ecosystems

With sales growth of 8.7% in Germany, Amazon impressively demonstrates how dynamic online retail remains even in challenging times - a clear signal that B2B retailers should also expand their reach and competitiveness in a targeted manner by establishing a presence on digital marketplaces. It is important to position yourself strategically: Which products do I want to sell where? What margins are realistic? And how do I manage to keep my brand visible in the platform environment?

5. Sustainability & transparency

According to the B2BEST Barometer by IFH Cologne and Creditreform (2022), sustainability and transparency are becoming increasingly important in B2B business. Environmental and social aspects such as carbon footprint, supply chain law and ESG reporting are becoming important purchasing criteria. Buyers want to know where the product comes from, how it is packaged and which standards are met. B2B stores are also increasingly becoming information platforms: with certificates, proof of origin and intelligent tracking along the supply chain.

6. Headless & composable commerce

The technical basis of many B2B stores is becoming more flexible. A study by Emporix from 2024 shows that the importance of composable commerce in B2B e-commerce is growing. Instead of monoliths with modular functions, the focus is on headless architectures, APIs and modular services. Why? Because this allows commerce functionalities to be developed, integrated and scaled in a more targeted manner - especially in heterogeneous IT landscapes with ERP, PIM & Co.

7. B2B commerce is becoming data-driven

A recent report by SQLI highlights: 64% of B2B companies are increasingly investing in predictive analytics to forecast purchasing behavior - often with AI/machine learning. Data is therefore becoming a currency in B2B commerce. Which products are doing well? Where do users drop out? Who orders when, how often and in what combination? Smart B2B stores analyze this behavior and derive specific measures from it - from product recommendations to inventory planning.

B2B Examples: Business-to-business commerce in practice

B2B can be implemented not only for physical products, but also for digital ones. Some of our customers have already successfully implemented B2B in Shopify. We'll show you which ones they are.

Selecta

Selecta is the largest supplier of food from vending machines. They are now present on Shopify Plus, where they offer business or wholesale customers the opportunity to purchase the well-known products from the vending machines.

Babbel

Everyone has probably heard of Babbel. The well-known provider of language courses has been working on the basis of Shopify Plus for a long time. With the extension "Babbel for Business", Babbel has also been offering language courses in the B2B area for some time. Companies can register here and give their employees access to the courses.

Bego

Another example of Shopify B2B is Bego. The leading manufacturer of dental prostheses and implants relies on Shopify Plus. The online shop is designed purely for B2B business and supplies dentists and dental practices throughout Germany.

Neuland

Neuland also relies on a B2B online store with Shopify Plus. However, the store not only serves B2B customers, but also B2C customers. Thanks to Shopify Plus, Neuland has created a central point of contact for national and international customers.

Conclusion

B2B e-commerce presents a number of challenges. Nevertheless, the effort of building digital solutions in enterprise commerce can be worthwhile. In the future, more and more purchases in the B2B sector will take place online. Those who take the right steps today to ensure a smooth buying process via online platforms will have a successful future ahead of them. Those who already offer e-commerce solutions can leverage the full potential of online trade in the B2B sector by automating and optimizing their processes.